Hygiene system

ABSTRACT

Hygiene systems are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the hygiene systems include sanitizing products (e.g., wipes and/or sanitizer) and personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, masks, and/or gowns).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/019,171, filed May 1, 2020. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There has been an increased awareness of infectious diseases and the preventative measures that may be taken to protect against, and to slow the spread of, such infections. Dispensers for protective wear used in the medical field, such as gloves, face masks, face shields, and the like, are known. However, there remains a need for dispensers of protective wear in combination with sanitizing products. Specifically, there is a need for dispensers of protective wear in combination with sanitizing products that may be implemented both in medical situations, e.g., in hospitals and doctors' offices, but also in any public setting where individuals may be at risk of infection (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, restrooms, gas stations, etc.).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a hygiene system that may be portable and/or mountable. The hygiene system dispenses more than one of (a) a group of sanitizing products, (e.g., wipes and/or sanitizer and/or soap) and (b) personal protective equipment, (e.g., gloves, masks, foot coverings, and/or gowns) in a hygienic manner.

Disclosed herein is a hygiene system comprising more than one of a sanitizer dispenser, a wipe (e.g., a sanitizing wipe) dispenser, and a glove dispenser. In some embodiments, the hygiene system further comprises a mask dispenser and/or a gown dispenser. In some embodiments, the sanitizer dispenser, wipe dispenser, glove dispenser, mask dispenser, and/or gown dispenser are contactless, or the system dispenses items in such a way as to prevent contact of a first user with items not being used by/dispensed to that user.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system is mobile, e.g., can be moved from a first location to a second location on an as needed basis. A hygiene system may also be mountable, e.g., can be mounted (e.g., removably mounted) to any secure location, such as a wall, door, rail, etc. In some embodiments, a hygiene system is a modular system. In other embodiments, a hygiene system is an integrated system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a schematic of an embodiment of a hygiene system described herein. The shape and structure of this embodiment are not intended to be limiting but rather exemplary.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein are hygiene systems that may be portable and/or mountable. Hygiene systems may dispense sanitizing products, e.g., wipes and/or sanitizer, as well as dispensing personal protective equipment, e.g., gloves, masks, and/or gowns. In some embodiments, a hygiene system may include one or more of hand sanitizer, wipes, gowns, masks, and gloves. In some embodiments, a hygiene system comprises one or more of a hand sanitizer dispenser, a mask dispenser, a gown dispenser, a wipes dispenser, and a gloves dispenser. In one embodiment, a hygiene system comprises a hand sanitizer dispenser, a mask dispenser, and a glove dispenser. In certain embodiments, a hygiene system comprises one or more contactless dispensers, i.e., dispensers that dispense a product without a user touching the dispenser or the remaining products in the dispenser.

As used herein, the term “hand sanitizer” refers to an alcohol-containing gel, foam or liquid solution which may be used as a supplement or alternative to hand washing with soap and water. The active ingredient may be isopropanol, ethanol, or n-propanol. Generally speaking, alcohol concentration should be above 60% to be effective in killing microbes. Hand sanitizers containing two different germ killers (e.g., alcohol and benzalkonium chloride, alcohol and triclosan, etc.) are considered more effective than alcohol alone. Some alcohol-based hand sanitizer formulations include a moisturizer to keep hands from drying out.

As used herein, the term “hand sanitizer dispenser” refers to a device that can dispense hand-sanitizer from a reservoir for multiple hand sanitizing events or multiple users. The hand sanitizer dispenser may be a hand sanitizer pump dispenser, a pump-spray dispensers, a spray dispenser, a pump-foam dispensers, a foam dispenser, a pressurized aerosol spray dispenser, pressured foam dispensers. The hand sanitizer dispenser could be a dip station or a saturated towel station (e.g., towel or cloth-like substrate saturated with hand sanitizer).

It is contemplated that spray dispensers or dip stations may also be used. Examples of pump bottles containing hand sanitizer gel are commercially available and known to those of skill in the art. Other desirable pump dispensers include disposable self-contained dispensers having a significantly increased capacity as compared to standard dispensers, which are relatively inexpensive, and which do not depend on the separate storage and delivery of refill cartridges or bulk volumes of liquid ingredients. Examples and descriptions of these dispensers are found at, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,502 by Lewis, et al., for “Self Contained Viscous Liquid Dispenser”, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system includes a wipe dispenser. A wipe dispenser may store wipes, e.g., sanitizing wipes. In one embodiment, a wipe dispenser may include an opening sized and shaped to allow access to the interior of the wipe dispenser by a person's hand. The wipes may be manually loaded into the wipe dispenser and subsequently retrieved from the wipe dispenser through the opening. In other aspects, the wipes may be extending from the wipe dispenser to allow retrieval of a wipe with limited contact. In some aspects, the wipes are loaded into the wipe dispenser on a roller. In other aspects, the wipes are loaded into the wipe dispenser in a box. In certain aspects, the wipes are dispensed from the wipe dispenser in a contactless fashion, i.e., a wipe may be retrieved from the wipe dispenser without coming in contact with any of the remaining wipes.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system includes a glove dispenser. A glove dispenser may store protective gloves. Protective gloves may be disposable protective gloves. In some aspects, the gloves are polymer gloves, such as latex, nitrile rubber, vinyl, neoprene and/or another polymeric material. In one embodiment, a glove dispenser may include an opening sized and shaped to allow access to the interior of the glove dispenser by a person's hand. The gloves may be manually loaded into the glove dispenser and subsequently retrieved from the glove dispenser through the opening. In other aspects, the gloves may be extending from the glove dispenser to allow retrieval of a glove with limited contact. In certain aspects, the gloves are dispensed from the glove dispenser in a contactless fashion, i.e., a glove may be retrieved from the glove dispenser without coming in contact with any of the remaining gloves.

In one aspect, a door may be pivotally attached to the front of the glove dispenser and include the opening. The door may be opened to load the gloves into the glove dispenser. The gloves may be in a container from a manufacturer; in which case the container may be placed into the glove dispenser when the door is opened and secured therein when the door is closed. In some aspects, the glove dispenser may also include a pressure plate positioned near the back of the dispenser. The pressure plate communicates with the container of gloves to maintain the container near the front of the dispenser. In some aspects, the pressure plate may be spring loaded. Other examples of glove dispensing mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,731,056; 6,820,753; 6,708,841; and 6,021,919, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system includes a mask dispenser. A mask dispenser may store protective masks, for example, face masks or face shields. The protective masks may be disposable masks. In some aspects, protective masks are surgical masks, N95 masks, or KN95 masks. In one aspect, the front of the mask dispenser includes an opening sized and shaped to allow access to the interior of the mask dispenser by a person's hand and to allow a mask to fit therethrough. The masks may be manually loaded into the mask dispenser and subsequently retrieved from the mask dispenser through the opening. In some aspects, a push may be positioned near the back of the mask dispenser to communicate with the masks and urge the masks toward the opening. In some aspects, the push may be spring loaded and shaped to correspond to the type of mask loaded into the mask dispenser. In certain aspects, the masks are dispensed from the mask dispenser in a contactless fashion, i.e., a mask may be retrieved from the mask dispenser without coming in contact with any of the remaining masks.

In one aspect, a door may be pivotally attached to the front of the mask dispenser and include an opening. The door may be opened to load the masks into the mask dispenser. The masks may be in a container from a manufacturer; in which case the container may be placed into the mask dispenser when the door is opened and secured therein when the door is closed. In some aspects, the mask dispenser may include a pressure plate positioned near the back of the mask dispenser. In some aspects, the pressure plate communicates with the container of masks to maintain the container near the front of the mask dispenser. Other mask dispensing systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,763,970 and 6,868,984, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system comprises a gown dispenser. In one aspect, the gown dispenser stores medical gowns. The gowns may be disposable gowns. The gowns may be folded and placed one on top of another as with folded shirts. Alternatively, the gowns may be folded and placed one in front of the other as in hanging shirts. The gowns may be in a container from a manufacturer; in which case the container may be placed into the gown dispenser. Examples of gown dispensing systems include those described in International Publication No. WO 2013/063304 and U.S. Pat. No. 10,653,572, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In one aspect, the gown dispenser may include slots that removably receive dividers. In some aspects, the dividers are received in the slots and positioned to be parallel with the opposed ends and perpendicular to the front and the back. When the dividers are placed into an interior of the gown dispenser, the space allotted to accommodate the gowns is decreased. Thus, different sizes of folded gowns may be accommodated by the gown dispenser.

In one aspect, the gown dispenser does not have a top, and a gown may be easily removed from the gown dispenser as needed. In certain aspects, the front of the gown dispenser is configured to allow a person's hand to enter the gown dispenser to retrieve a gown when the supply is low. Thus, the front of the gown dispenser may be U-shaped which allows access to the interior of the gown dispenser. In certain aspects, the gowns are dispensed from the gown dispenser in a contactless fashion, i.e., a gown may be retrieved from the gown dispenser without coming in contact with any of the remaining gowns.

While the present invention has been described for dispensing sanitizing products, wipes, gowns, gloves, and/or masks, the hygiene system may be adapted to dispense any other protective wear or medical products used in the medical field. In some aspects, any number of dispensers may be connected together in a modular fashion thereby forming a modular hygiene system. In other aspects, any number of dispensers may form a single integrated system thereby forming an integrated hygiene system.

In some embodiments, a hygiene system includes a hand sanitizer dispenser, a gown dispenser, a glove dispenser, and/or a mask dispenser. In some embodiments, a hygiene system is a modular hygiene system. For example, each individual dispenser (e.g., sanitizer dispenser, wipe dispenser, gown dispenser, mask dispenser, and/or glove dispenser) is a separate unit that may be attached or detached from the other dispensers using interlocking means. In other embodiments, a hygiene system is an integrated hygiene system. For example, a single unit contains one or more of the individual dispensers. The dispensers may be adapted to receive pre-packaged protective wear.

A hygiene system disclosed herein may provide quick access to the one or more components included. For example, the hygiene system may provide convenient access in high-traffic areas to personal care supplies such as hand sanitizer, face masks, face shields and gloves. In some aspects, the hygiene system may also be versatile and mobile. For example, the hygiene system may be easily moved to any location such as waiting room, meeting room, clinic, bathroom, gas station, grocery store or other store, etc. to provide access to supplies wherever they are needed. In some aspects, the hygiene system may also be mountable. For example, the hygiene system may be mounted to a pole, stand, wall, door, or other secure surface, to provide ready access to supplies.

In some aspects, a hygiene system 100 has a top face 110, a front face 120, two side faces 130, a bottom face 140, and a back face (not shown). In some aspects, a hygiene system 100 includes a door 180, and in certain aspects door 180 is located on a front face 120. Hygiene system 100 may comprise one or more dispensers of sanitizing products, such as gloves, wipes, gowns, masks, and/or sanitizer. In some aspects, hygiene system 100 comprises a gloves dispenser 150, a wipes dispenser 160, and a sanitizer dispenser 170. In one aspect, gloves, wipes, and sanitizer and dispensed from a bottom face 140 of hygiene system 100. In other aspects, gloves, wipes, and sanitizer may be dispensed from a side face 130, a front face 120, or a top face 110 of a hygiene system. In some aspects, one or more sanitizing products are dispensed from a side face 130, a front face 120, a bottom face 140, or a top face 110 of hygiene system 100. The one or more sanitizing products may be placed into the hygiene system via door 180.

The description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while method steps or functions are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform functions in a different order, or functions may be performed substantially concurrently. The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to other procedures or methods as appropriate. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, if necessary, to employ the compositions, functions and concepts of the above references and application to provide yet further embodiments of the disclosure. These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of the detailed description.

Specific elements of any of the foregoing embodiments can be combined or substituted for elements in other embodiments. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described in the context of these embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.

All patents and other publications identified are expressly incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the methodologies described in such publications that might be used in connection with the present invention. These publications are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing in this regard should be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention or prior publication, or for any other reason. All statements as to the date or representation as to the contents of these documents is based on the information available to the applicants and does not constitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contents of these documents.

One skilled in the art readily appreciates that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The details of the description and the examples herein are representative of certain embodiments, are exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Modifications therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art. These modifications are encompassed within the spirit of the invention. It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that varying substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The articles “a” and “an” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to include the plural referents. Claims or descriptions that include “or” between one or more members of a group are considered satisfied if one, more than one, or all of the group members are present in, employed in, or otherwise relevant to a given product or process unless indicated to the contrary or otherwise evident from the context. The invention includes embodiments in which exactly one member of the group is present in, employed in, or otherwise relevant to a given product or process. The invention also includes embodiments in which more than one, or all of the group members are present in, employed in, or otherwise relevant to a given product or process. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention provides all variations, combinations, and permutations in which one or more limitations, elements, clauses, descriptive terms, etc., from one or more of the listed claims is introduced into another claim dependent on the same base claim (or, as relevant, any other claim) unless otherwise indicated or unless it would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art that a contradiction or inconsistency would arise. It is contemplated that all embodiments described herein are applicable to all different aspects of the invention where appropriate. It is also contemplated that any of the embodiments or aspects can be freely combined with one or more other such embodiments or aspects whenever appropriate. Where elements are presented as lists, e.g., in Markush group or similar format, it is to be understood that each subgroup of the elements is also disclosed, and any element(s) can be removed from the group. It should be understood that, in general, where the invention, or aspects of the invention, is/are referred to as comprising particular elements, features, etc., certain embodiments of the invention or aspects of the invention consist, or consist essentially of, such elements, features, etc. For purposes of simplicity those embodiments have not in every case been specifically set forth in so many words herein. It should also be understood that any embodiment or aspect of the invention can be explicitly excluded from the claims, regardless of whether the specific exclusion is recited in the specification. 

1. A hygiene system comprising a single unit, wherein the single unit comprises a top face, a front face comprising a door, a back face, a bottom face, and two side faces, and wherein the single unit comprises a sanitizer dispenser, a glove dispenser, and a wipe dispenser, and wherein the sanitizer dispenser, glove dispenser, and wipe dispenser dispense from the bottom face of the single unit.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sanitizer dispenser is a contactless dispenser.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wipe dispenser is a contactless dispenser.
 5. (canceled)
 6. (canceled)
 7. (canceled)
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an integrated system.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is mobile.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is mountable. 